Killer Mike: Beyoncé's 'Formation' Critics Need to Pick Up a History Book

Killer Mike: Beyoncé's 'Formation' Critics Need to Pick Up a History Book

"White people, it's not always about you," he said.

Published February 13, 2016

The chatter surrounding Beyoncé's amazing video for "Formation" is still at an all-time high, with several celebrities weighing in on the clip. Ever since Bey's Black Panther-themed Super Bowl 50 Halftime performance, some white conservatives have been up in arms, saying that the superstar is promoting violence against the police, but hip hop staple and political activist/genius Killer Mike has some direct words for these critics.

"White people, it's not always about you," he said during an appearance on HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher. "And what I mean by that is when you hear her talk about the record, she says first, 'I'm not in the Illuminati.' She's talking to other Black people, saying, 'Look, stupid. Because I'm not at Ferguson when you want me to be doesn't mean I've sold you out.' And then the rest of the first verse is about her telling other Black people, 'I like being Black. This is the type of Black I am. I like the fact that my daughter's Black... I like me.' White people, that conversation wasn't even for you."

Maher also jokingly weighed in on the performance, adding some sarcastic humor to the critics' ridiculous comments: "To me, watching that, I thought that this looked like every other halftime show I've ever seen," he said. "It was an affront to everything we hold dear."

Killer Mike continued along his point, spreading some knowledge to the white critics who saw Queen Bey's salute to the Black Panthers as "reverse racism." "I want to say about the Black Panthers, other white people, the history they teach you in white schools is not exactly right," he said. "The Black Panthers were called the Black Panthers, but they weren't just pro-Black people... [they were] a socialist group for any downtrodden people and at the time, they happened to be Blacks."

There's a history lesson we hope everyone fully received. Well put, Mike!

Take a look at the segment, below:

Relive the amazingness of Beyoncé's new single in the BET Breaks video below:

(Photo: Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BET.com is your No. 1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.

Written by Moriba Cummings

COMMENTS

Subscribe to our Newsletter

By clicking submit, I consent to receiving BET Newsletters and other marketing emails. BET Newsletters are subject to our Privacy Policy and Terms
of Use. Users can unsubscribe at anytime. BET Newsletters are sent by BET Networks, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. www.bet.com